DACT1 as a Potential Therapeutic Target in Gastric Cancer: Insights from Integrative Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis.

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a significant worldwide health issue, Dapper Antagonist of β-Catenin-1 (DACT1) is a gene implicated in various cancers. Bioinformatics analysis across multiple databases were utilized to investigate DACT1 expression and its correlation with GC prognosis. Subsequent experimental work involved cell culture, Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), and Western Blot to explore the role of DACT1 in GC cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that DACT1 was highly expressed and linked to a low overall survival rate in GC. DACT1 expression was linked to epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Notch signaling pathways, both critical in cancer progression. Experimental validation further demonstrated that the knockdown of DACT1 inhibits GC cell proliferation, migration, the EMT process, and the activity of the Notch signaling pathway. DACT1 may serve as a promising target in GC treatment through its involvement in EMT and Notch signaling. The study provides a foundation for further investigation of DACT1 in GC.